Weekly garbage collection to continue in Hamilton through 2028

There will be no changes to the frequency of waste collection in Hamilton after city council stood by last week’s public works committee decision, voting 8-7 on Wednesday night not to study the costs and other implications of switching to garbage collection every second week.

Mountain Coun. John-Paul Danko believes the city could potentially save $3 million each year by switching to biweekly trash pickup while extending the life of its landfill through better recycling and use of green bins.

Danko pushed for the biweekly option to be included as city staff prepare to seek tenders for a new seven-year contract that will run from 2021 to 2028.

Council’s decision means companies bidding for the contract will instead be restricted to weekly collection of Hamilton’s garbage.

Ward 4 Coun. Sam Merulla stressed that he views weekly pickup as an “essential service,” while Ancaster Coun. Lloyd Ferguson was skeptical of the potential cost savings under biweekly collection and Glanbrook Coun. Brenda Johnson worried about an increase in illegal dumping.

Johnson remembered switching from a two-bag weekly garbage limit to one bag several years ago, adding that “if you want to know where that second bag went, just take a drive out into the rural area.”